Thursday, 21 October 2010

Cabinet Members cannot ignore the impact of their decisions

I have been told that Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Joan Symons, is refusing to meet with Camelford residents to hear their concerns about the proposal to stop funding their leisure centre.

I have written to Joan to ask her to reconsider that decision:

Dear JoanI understand from Camelford residents that you have declined an invitation to meet with them to hear their concerns about Cornwall Council's plans to stop funding their leisure centre.I hope that you will change your mind and agree to attend a meeting. I think it is vital that Cornwall Council does not appear to exist in ivory towers in Truro but only takes tough decisions after considering all the options and hearing from the people who will be affected by them. As the portfolio holder for leisure, it will be you who will be proposing this cut and I think it would be wrong for any councillor to be perceived to be hiding behind officers in difficult cases such as this.

With best wishes

Alex

I don't pretend that the task facing the Cabinet is easy. There are clearly going to have to be budget cuts of a very great magnitude. But it is inevitable that local residents, such as those in Camelford, will be very concerned about the prospect of losing their local facilities. They deserve to be heard by those proposing the closures.

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